What do you have more of on the farm? Tractors….or computers….or computers inside your tractors?

At Commodity Classic in San Antonio, we visited with Aaron Deardorff, the Head of Digital Solutions in North America for Syngenta. We talked about new horizons in farm management software, and areas where Syngenta can help empower growers with data and numbers.

We also had the unique opportunity at Commodity Classic to visit with Dr. Joe Byrum of Sygenta, Global Head of Product Development for Soy.

If you check out his resume — Byrum was the chief architect leading operational, administrative, and financial oversight of the corporate operations research initiative that won Syngenta the 2015 Franz Edelman prize for contributions in operations research and the management sciences. Byrum holds more than 50 patents that have generated $1 billion in revenue.

To “get it right” this season for soybeans, we visited with Walker Techau, a product development agronomist at Syngenta. He specializes in Golden Harvest seed, and his territory covers the Northern Plains.

Some keys to 2017 – Select varieties wisely: It’s critical to start with varieties whose characteristics and genetic makeup match the needs of the field in which they’re planted, and plan ahead for potential disease and pest pressure by selecting tolerant varieties.

Use an inoculant, if necessary: Especially if rotating from continuous corn to soybeans, adding an inoculant can provide a bacterial benefit for fields with non-optimal soil pH levels or that have gone long periods without soybeans.

Switch varieties from year to year: Don’t risk developing resistance. Growers should swap out varieties each year to stay ahead of disease pressures.

Author: Rusty HalvorsonWith radio roots stretching for decades, Rusty’s communication skills, love of agriculture, and dedication to the job are the reasons why he's the voice of The American Ag Network.